Pretty Kitty
by Lass Cherrie
Summary: ON HIATUS / Welcome to the Pretty Skitty Cafe, where the girls are adorable, the boys are delicious, and the kitchen's even yummier! With frilly pink uniforms, Skittys up to her ears, and a cast of colourful characters, Kim's life is about to become a rollercoaster.
1. Golden Ticket

**April 24, 2010.**

**A/N: Greetings, fictioners!**

**So, this is my first Pokemon fanfic; my first time dabbling in the Pokemon fandom :3 Let's see how we go, ne?**

**I haven't had much to do with the recent seasons. To be honest, I've pretty much been marathoning Indigo League (season one) and that's about it. But this fic is set in Hoenn... so go figure... :/**

**Note! The title is NOT a typo. Haha.**

**To my TMM fandom readers, if you're reading this... O_O Maybe just stick to my TMM work XD'**

**Anyway! Please enjoy, and if you have a moment, please review. I'd appreciate it. 5 reviews and I'll update :)**

**SUMMARY**

Kim needs a job. Badly. So her best friend finds her one, as a 'Pretty Kitty'; a waitress at the Pretty Skitty Cafe - a lively, bustling place so pink and glittery it's almost disgusting. With a cast of colleagues with a startling variety of personalities, a staff of boys so cute it should be illegal, and a bunch of Skittys whose main purpose seems to be to create as much havoc as possible, Kim's about to be sucked into a whirlwind of drama, romance and frilly dresses. Will she be able to handle the _cuteness_? Or will the Pretty Skitty Cafe conquer our unsuspecting heroine?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon :)**

* * *

**~ PRETTY KITTY ~**

**One: Golden Ticket**

* * *

"Ugh."

Kim groaned loudly, lying face-down on her desk. Her silky brown hair fell across her eyes. She sighed heavily. "I need a job. Fast."

"Running low on cash, eh?" Nina asked. Kim 'Mmm'd' gloomily, her moan muffled by the wood. Her friend chuckled, brushing her chocolate ringlets behind her shoulder. "You might wanna take down these notes, by the way. We have a test next week."

"Whatever," Kim muttered. She turned her head and gazed out the classroom window with troubled blue-green eyes. Right now, she had bigger things to worry about than the properties of Aprikorns. If she didn't come up with some money somehow, she wouldn't be able to afford Pichu's day-care tuition. Without the day-care program, she had no idea what she was supposed to do with her precious Pokémon while she was at school. Pichu certainly couldn't sit with her in class.

She was still troubled when the final bell rang. As students of all ages crowded the main corridor of Petalburg High, Kim walked beside a chattering Nina, only catching a few words every now and then; her thoughts were miles away.

"Hello-o-o," Nina said loudly, waving her hand in front of Kim's face, and frowning. "Are you even listening to me?"

Kim laughed, blushing. "Sorry. I'm pretty distracted today."

"You're telling me!" Nina retorted, propping her hands on her hips. "Look, if you're that stressed about money, just start applying for jobs everywhere. I'm sure _someone_ will be hiring."

"No-one in Petalburg," Kim told her glumly. "I even asked Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Centre if she needed any help – even just with cleaning, or whatever. But they've already got enough staff."

"Man." Nina whistled appreciatively. "That's tough."

Their lockers were right next to each other. With the rest of the school buzzing around them, the general enthusiasm for the end of class static like electricity in the air, they began packing their bags with books.

"I'm going to Rustboro City this afternoon," Nina said, smiling excitedly. "Wanna come? We can go shopping, or see a movie."

Kim laughed humourlessly. "And how can I afford that? Which money for shopping are you referring to? Do you know of a secret account I have somewhere?"

Nina chewed her lip for a moment. "Aww, man. This sucks. Well, we can still go to the movies. Tickets on me."

"Thanks for the offer," Kim replied, pulling her mousey hair up in a high ponytail. Her fringe fluttered disobediently back into her face, across her eye. "We'll have to go another day. I have to pick up Pichu from the day-care centre. Besides, I have homework to do."

"Fine," Nina sighed, rolling her pretty, misty-green eyes. "But you're missing out. Ziggy's been looking for a playmate." She laughed and zipped up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "He's been so bored lately; he's been chewing through my socks to get my attention."

"Why socks?" Kim asked curiously, as they walked out through the front doors into the afternoon. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The skies overhead were bright blue.

Nina shrugged. "Beats me. I'm not inside his crazy little head." She grinned and poked out her tongue, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, I'll miss the bus if I stand around gas-bagging with you all day. Then neither of us will get to go to Rustboro."

Kim's lip curled in a smile and she shoved her friend's shoulder. "I get it. Go on. I have to get going anyway. See you tomorrow?"

"Sure will. I'll bring you something for lunch." Nina waved cheerfully over her shoulder, heading off down the flower-lined street. Petalburg really was a beautiful town. Modest, and perhaps a little boring, and it wasn't anywhere near as big as some of the other metropolises, but it had fresh air and sparkling water, and all the buildings were cute and graffiti-free. The houses were especially sweet. Kim had always been of the opinion that Petalburg had some of the nicest architecture in all of Hoenn.

The day-care centre was only a short walk from Petalburg High, down a few streets lined with identical, red-thatched-roof cottages and perfect front gardens behind white picket fences. She unlocked the gate and closed it carefully behind her, following the little brick path to the front door. Various Pokémon of all types played and snoozed in the garden, many of them glancing over to watch her curiously. Some called happy greetings of recognition.

"The door's open," an elderly voice called after she knocked, from somewhere in the house.

Kim opened the door, poking her head inside. "Hello? Mrs. Honeysuckle?"

"Hello, Kimberley dear. We're in the kitchen!"

Kim slid her bag off her shoulder and left it in the front hall, following the corridor in the direction she knew was the kitchen. She nodded a greeting to Mr. Honeysuckle, who was sitting in the living room, grooming an obviously content Poochyena, surrounded by other Pokémon who were watching curiously.

Kim had always liked Mrs. Honeysuckle's kitchen. It was a small, colourful place, with lace curtains on the window above the sink, doilies atop the floral tablecloth, and vases filled with fresh flowers. The place was warm and homey, and always smelled of freshly-baked pies and biscuits. Today, she found withered old Mrs. Honeysuckle in an old blue dress and an apron smudged with flour, up to her elbows in cookie dough, which she was kneading with a vengeance.

A Wurmple had curled itself around the bowl to hold it in place, while her Pichu tipped milk from a jug that was _just _too big for it, its cute little face scrunched up with concentration. A Torchic was rolling an egg around on the bench, trying to grab it with its talons and looking extremely frustrated.

"Hello, dear," Mrs. Honeysuckle said, looking up and smiling, her kind brown eyes crinkling in the corners. "How was school today?"

"Oh, it was fine, thanks," Kim replied. At the sound of her voice, Pichu whipped around excitedly, tipping milk all over Wurmple, who bristled in protest and uncurled itself to complain. The bowl wobbled dangerously, almost knocking into Torchic, who managed to dodge narrowly, but lost control of the egg in the process. With a loud _crack!_ and _splatter!_, the egg shattered on the floor.

All three Pokémon stared at it in dismay.

Kim gasped. "Pichu!"

"Pi-i-i…" Pichu apologised sadly, its ears drooping. Torchic shot it an accusing glare. Mrs. Honeysuckle chuckled merrily.

"There, there," she said, putting the bowl down. "No harm done. It wasn't your fault, Pichu. You were a very good helper today."

"Pi-_chu_!" it chirped, beaming at her praise. It turned happily to Kim, its eyes big and proud. "Pichu Pi!" _I was good today!_

Kim laughed lightly, holding out her arm for Pichu to scramble up and sit on her shoulder; it's favourite perch. It squeaked happily, rubbing its cheek against hers with a familiar little static crackle. "You've been baking again, I see."

"We have," Mrs. Honeysuckle agreed. "We've been making treats for afternoon tea."

"Thanks for taking care of Pichu again."

"Always a pleasure, dear," Mrs. Honeysuckle replied. "You know we love having its company."

"I'll leave the envelope in its usual spot, okay?"

"Oh, that's fine, dear. See you tomorrow morning."

"Have a nice night, Mrs. Honeysuckle," Kim said. "C'mon, Pichu. We're going."

"Pi-chuuu!" her Pokémon called farewell to the elderly couple. Kim took out a small white envelope and left it behind the Dragonair statue on the stand in the front hall. She scooped her bag up and headed back outside, Pichu humming happily on her shoulder.

It was her very first – and only – Pokémon, a gift for her tenth birthday from her father, who lived in Johto. Her parents had split when she was young; she couldn't remember a time when they'd lived under one roof, but it didn't bother her. Since she'd never had two parents at once, she didn't feel like she was missing out. To her, it was normal to have only a mother. Besides, how many other kids spent every summer in another country? Divided families had their perks.

In the five years since they'd met, Pichu had become her best pal. At first, it had been hesitant about going to day-care when she'd started high school. Petalburg High didn't allow its students to bring their Pokémon to school. But it had grown quickly used to spending its days with Mr. and Mrs. Honeysuckle, and had come to love the sweet old couple. Plus it had made lots of Pokémon friends. Kim didn't think she had the heart to tell it it might not be able to go back again.

"Pi, Pichu Pi! Pi-chuuu Pichu Pi! Chu chu, Pichu!" Pichu was chattering away cheerfully, telling her about its day. Apparently mud pies weren't actually meant to be eaten. Kim laughed and tickled one round cheek with her pointer. It crackled statically at her touch, and ticklish Pichu giggled, accidentally letting off a gentle shock of electricity that left the hairs on the back of her neck standing. It far from hurt; Pichu's zaps weren't very strong, unless it was attacking.

"Nina's going to Rustboro City today," Kim said, shoving her hands in her pockets so her Pokémon could recover. It always got a little worked up – like a little bundle of repressed energy – when it let off tiny shockwaves. "She told me Ziggy needs a playmate. We should visit soon."

"Pi-Pichu!" Pichu agreed enthusiastically. It liked to play with Zigzagoon on summer holiday sleepovers. During the term, though, they didn't get to see each other very often.

By now, they were walking down Kim's street. Up ahead was her house, almost identical to all the others, except its garden needed a little tending to, and the gutters probably needed to be cleared out. Her mother worked long hours as a nurse at a special dermatology clinic for Pokémon, in Rustboro City. She wouldn't be home until much later, and she left before Kim had even risen in the morning.

Kim opened the gate and reached into her pocket for the keys. Pichu tensed on her shoulder, preparing. She smiled to herself. Every day it was the same routine, and it had been the same for five years. She inserted the key and turned the lock, deliberately pausing, knowing Pichu would get impatient. Seconds later: "Pichu Pi!"

"Okay, okay," she laughed, obediently opened the front door. In a flash, Pichu had sprinted down her arm and launched into the house, landing on the little table in the front hall under the mirror. From there, it took another flying leap and landed on the back of the couch in the lounge room. It ran the length of the sofa and jumped to the next, making its way towards the kitchen without touching the floor.

Kim couldn't remember when the challenge had started, but now it was tradition. She watched her tiny electric mouse Pokémon jump onto the final couch. At the very edge, it prepared itself for another jump, wiggled its backside and sprung like a coil, sailing towards the curtain – the hardest obstacle. And today, it didn't look like it was going to make it. Kim bit her lip. Pichu didn't like dealing with failure.

But no – right when it seemed Pichu would miss, it somehow managed to grab hold of the pulley with its teeth. The curtains slid rapidly closed; Pichu's black-tipped ears perked up in alarm. It hung, suspended by its teeth a few feet off the floor, visibly calculating its next move. Kim laughed, one arm curled around her side, which was starting to hurt. The kitchen bench was so close…

Pichu seemed to have realised the same thing. Using its body weight, it began to swing back and forth on the cord, reaching vainly for the edge with its hind paws. Again and again it narrowly missed, or tantalisingly _just _scraped it. Finally, with one extra large swing, Pichu launched from the cord and landed on the bench, drifting like a sports car in a wild skid that almost swept it straight off the counter. It scrabbled and barrelled the length of the bench to the phone, almost crashing into the answering machine, and tapping the button with one tiny paw.

"You have no new messages," the answering machine informed them obediently. Pichu, huffing, perked up and looked around expectantly for Kim, its job done. Wiping her eyes, Kim kicked the front door shut and walked into the kitchen to turn the answering machine off.

"Good job, Pichu," she praised, opening the fridge and grabbing her half-finished bottle of aloe-vera drink and a can of Soda Pop – Pichu's favourite. "C'mere, rascal."

She offered out her arm and headed upstairs to her room, Pichu perched on her shoulder like a parrot.

* * *

"Look what your dearest, darling-est friend has got you!" Nina sang, dancing around in front of Kim's table. Kim, who was finishing her sentence, didn't look up.

"What?" she asked vaguely. Surprisingly, she wasn't finding this Aprikorn stuff too dry.

"Look, silly!"

Sighing, Kim rolled her eyes and obediently looked up. "Okay, what?"

"This!" Nina chirped, placing a little plastic box wrapped with a shiny yellow ribbon. Kim recognised it; she often bought back similar boxes from her trips to Rustboro. When they were younger they'd always spent their allowance on them.

She laughed appreciatively. "A Berry Box. Thanks, Nin."

"Open it!" Nina commanded, crossing her arms. "I wanna see which ones you got."

"Can't I just open it at lunch?" Kim asked hopefully. "I'm studyi–"

"No!" Nina snapped, grabbing her textbook from under her nose and snapping it shut. She grinned and poked her tongue out. "Now, open the box! Class hasn't even started yet!"

With a playful scowl at her friend, Kim obediently untied the ribbon, letting it slide off the top of the box. She carefully lifted the lid, watching Nina bounce on the balls of her feet in the corner of her vision.

"Ooh," she said loudly, deliberately hiding the contents from view. "Ooh, I like _this _one. And Pichu will adore _that_ one!"

"Let me see!" Nina cried, pulling the lid off. Kim laughed; she could be so childish sometimes.

"Pecha," Nina said, pointing at them as she counted them. "Oran, two Rawst, a Leppa and… is it a Figi? No, it's not! It's um… um…" She fluttered her hands in frustration.

"It's a Cheri berry," Kim said, glancing at it. Nina deflated.

"I knew that," she moaned. "I _knew. _You just needed to give me two more seconds."

"Whatever," Kim laughed, rolling her eyes. "Sure, sure."

Nina hit her arm playfully. "This is the thanks I get? Some friend you are!"

They laughed together, then Nina reached into her pocket. "That's not all I got you. You're going to lo-o-o-ove me for this one."

"Am I?" Kim raised one eyebrow as she revealed a piece of folded paper. "Mmm… paper. Thanks! It'd better be seventy-five percent recycled, Nina."

"Shove off!" Nina snorted. "Read it." She nodded encouragingly as Kim unfolded it in her fingers. Glancing up once at her friend, Kim shrugged to herself and examined the page. It seemed to be some sort of promotional flyer, for something called–

"The Pretty Skitty Café?" she read aloud, sceptically.

"That's right!" Nina sing-songed. "But it gets even better. Look down _there_."

Underneath all the garish pink and curly font were the bold words: **Currently Hiring!**

Suddenly, Kim understood why Nina had brought her the flyer.

"They're looking for workers!" Nina said excitedly. "Waitresses! You could waitress, Kim. I'm sure it'd be easy."

"But the café is in Rustboro," Kim replied, frowning a little.

"It's only a half-hour by bus," Nina said confidently. "It really goes by in a flash."

"I don't know, Nina…" Kim trailed off uncertainly. There was so much… _pink_. It had to be a foreboding sign. Nothing _this pink _could be good.

"Consider it," Nina replied. "Just consider it. We'll go take a look at the place tomorrow, okay?"

Kim looked up at her, back down at the flyer, and shrugged her shoulders. It couldn't hurt to just have a look. And she wasn't doing anything else after school tomorrow…

"Okay."

She had no idea what she was in for.

* * *

**A/N: A little introduction. I just wrote this today, so sorry if it's a bit... odd :/**

**Reviews are love :3**

**Until the next update.**

**Love,**

**Cherrie xx**


	2. Twenty Questions

**April 25, 2010.**

**A/N: Happy ANZAC day, forumers.**

**So, I know I said 5 reviews, but I figured I should probably give you a little more before I ask for proper reviews. It's hard to review on an introduction; I know they're pretty boring.**

**Here's a tidbit more :)**

**Thanks to: **Absh** and **Melancholic Marshmallow** for reviewing. It's heartening that you guys already have faith in this story. Thank you.**

**Read on!**

* * *

**~ PRETTY KITTY ~**

**Two: Twenty Questions**

* * *

"Oh, no," Kim said, her eyes huge. "I'm _not_ going in there."

The Pretty Skitty Café was situated on a wide, busy street in the heart of Rustboro City, flanked by a boutique fashion store and a hair salon. Clearly, it was right in the hub of the metropolitan woman's pampering heaven. The café itself was two-storey, with shining glass windows and lacy curtains. The bricks were painted musk pink. The tables outside, underneath the pink and white-striped tarpaulin, were covered with lace tablecloths and decorated with little vases of yellow tulips.

"It's so cute!" Nina gushed, her eyes sparkling. "Look at the coasters!"

They were shaped like Skitty faces.

"Piii-chu!" Pichu agreed, its excited smile huge.

"Okay, I appreciate that you were trying to help me," Kim said, "but I think I'll just apply elsewhere. May as well, since we're here."

"No," Nina said. "What you _actually _mean is: Since we came all this way, we may as well go the last step and have a look inside. Come on, Kim. Just a look. Otherwise it's a waste of bus fare."

"Chu," Pichu agreed firmly. Kim looked sceptically at the ridiculous café and glanced back at her friends. She rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Fine. But just a look."

A little silver bell tinkled merrily when they pushed the lace-curtained door open. Inside was just as gaudy (if not gaudier) than outside. The walls were lolly-pink, the polished floorboards shining under the fake-chandelier suspended from the middle of the roof. A staircase with a shiny golden banister curled upwards to their left. There were white-tablecloth covered tables with white wicker chairs dotting the floor, and a wide glass bench at the back, displaying dozens of different sweets. Behind that was a wide window in the wall. Chefs moved around behind it, their white hats standing tall atop their heads.

And there were people _everywhere. _A bunch of little pink kitten Pokémon wandered back and forth between the tables.

"Okay," Kim said nervously, taking a step backwards. "We've had a look, now lets' g–"

"Hi there!" A girl in a disgustingly frilly, cherry-pink uniform popped up in front of them, a shining silver heart-shaped tray in her hand. Kim stared at her. The dress had huge, puffy sleeves and big pleats in its far-too-short skirt. A white apron was worn over the top, trimmed with lace and frill wherever the designer had been able to fit them. A pair of white and pink striped over-the-knee socks matched the long gloves encasing her arms, and her high-heeled ankle boots were the same cherry colour as her wrist gloves. To top it off, a little white and pink maid's crown was nestled behind her silky blonde fringe, complete with a pair of pink cat ears. The rest of her long hair was tied into two high pigtails.

"Uh… hi," Kim replied subconsciously. All the pink was making her dizzy.

"Welcome to the Pretty Skitty Café!" the girl said perkily, smiling brightly. "Would you like a table for two today?"

"Er… no thank you," Kim said politely, wishing she'd followed her gut and _not _walked inside. "We're just having a look. We'll be goi–"

"Actually," Nina interrupted, pushing Kim aside and taking her place, "we found your flyer. My friend here has come to apply for a job."

"Pichu Pi!" Pichu agreed, nodding.

"Nina!" Kim hissed, kicking her shin hard. The panic button in her brain had been pushed, and the alarm was ringing shrilly. _Get out! Get out! Get out!_

"Oh!" the girl exclaimed, beaming. She turned long-lashed, sparkling blue eyes to Kim. "That's great! The boss'll be so happy! Please, wait here just a moment."

She skipped away. Literally skipped.

The moment she was out of earshot, Kim rounded on Nina. "What'd you do that for? Now we're stuck here! I'm going to have to make a fool of myself and let them down!"

"Why?" Nina asked, folding her arms across her chest. "This place is great. I'd love to work here."

"Piii," Pichu agreed, gazing longingly at the cakes in the display cabinet.

"_You_ would," Kim pointed out grumpily. "_I _would not. I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Oh, stop being so melodramatic," Nina replied, rolling her eyes. "This place is perfect. And you kick hard, by the way."

"Thanks for waiting!" the waitress chirped, reappearing before Kim had the chance to retort. "The boss will see you now."

"We'll wait here for you," Nina said, offering out her arm. Pichu scurried eagerly from Kim's shoulder to Nina's. "Good luck!" Pichu waved cheerfully from its new perch. Kim scowled darkly at the pair of them as she was led away by the lady in pink. It felt like she was being led off to her execution.

Down a little corridor, past the male and female bathrooms and the janitor's closet, was a shiny oak door lined with gold leaf. A brass plate reading: **Manager **was nailed to the wood. The blonde waitress smiled excitedly at Kim and raised one pink-gloved hand to rap sharply. Without waiting, she opened the door, chirped "Here we go!" and pushed her inside.

Kim stumbled awkwardly into the room, almost tripping and sprawling on her face. Managing to recover, she brushed off her uniform, straightened her skirt nervously, and looked around. The walls in here were pink, too, and adorned with photographs – all of the same Pokémon: a cream-coloured cat with purple ears. There was a tall bookcase in the corner, stuffed with titles she couldn't read, and a huge mahogany desk in the middle, behind which sat a fat man in an expensive, velvet purple tuxedo. His greying hair matched his thick, silver, walrus-like moustache. His eyes were the brightest blue – like jewels. At his side was a cat Pokémon identical to the one in the photographs.

"Well, hello there!" he boomed, smiling hugely. "How can I help you today?"

"Um…" Kim began dumbly, a little overwhelmed by the room, and the man who resided in it. Then she realised how idiotic she looked and sounded, and pulled herself together, blushing madly. Well, she was already here… "M-my name's Kimberley Clover and I was hoping to apply for a job here… Your flyer said you were hiring. I've brought a resume with me–" she fished hastily in her school bag, producing a crumpled piece of paper that she gazed at in dismay before thrusting at him "–as well as a letter of application, and–"

"Please, take a seat," the gentleman boomed, beaming at her. Kim fell silent, obediently putting the collection of papers down on the desk and sitting in one of his oversized, plush chairs. He observed her with startlingly blue eyes. "Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions."

He dug around in a pile of documents for a few seconds and pulled out a piece of pink paper with a flourish. "Just answer yes or no, alright? Be totally honest."

Kim swallowed nervously and nodded. "O-okay." She glanced at the cat Pokémon at his side; it yawned hugely, its dark eyes never leaving her face.

"Do you like cake?"

Kim stared at him. Was this a trick question? "Um… yes."

"Have you ever waitressed before?"

Her heart sank. "No…"

"Are you a Pokémon trainer?"

"Yes." Who wasn't, in this day and age?

"Do you train a Skitty?"

"Uh, no."

"Is your favourite colour pink?"

She didn't know whether to take these questions seriously or not. Maybe this was a test of her professionalism. She glanced at him; he regarded her with total seriousness. Her inner Kim shrugged. Just go with it.

"No."

She had a bad feeling all these negative answers weren't good. His responsive frown confirmed her suspicions.

"Are you a high school student?"

"Yes…" What did that have to do with anything? And what was he, blind? Couldn't he see her uniform?

"Can you tie your hair into piggy-tails?"

Oh, man. He seriously called them 'piggy-tails'?

"Oh, um, yes."

"Do you play sport?"

"No."

The questions were getting weirder and weirder. Kim wondered vaguely how many there were. Would she sit here for an hour, just answering these questions? The idea was unappealing.

"Do you ever wear dresses?"

"Occas– I mean, yes." Well, not very often, but answering with 'no' would technically be a lie, because she _did_ wear them sometimes – if there was a wedding or something, maybe. And her school skirt was sort of a dress. Did that count?

"One more thing. Say 'nya' for me."

What on earth? "Nya…?"

"Excellent!" he boomed suddenly; she almost jumped out of her skin. "You can start on Monday. Cora, sweetheart!"

"Wait, what?" Kim stammered in alarm. The door burst open behind her and the blonde waitress danced in.

"She made it?" she asked excitedly.

"She made it!" he boomed. "Get her a uniform from the storeroom – make it a small. I want to see our darling in it straight away!" He clapped his hands together. The Delcatty yawned delicately again, expressionless; uninterested.

"W-wait," Kim wailed, as the blonde waitress hauled her up from the chair and bustled her from the office. "What about–?" Had he even _looked _at her resume?

"Congratulations!" the girl chattered cheerfully in her ear. "You did it! Welcome to the team; now you're a Pretty Kitty, too! Now, come with me." She steered her through door into a small, musty room with lots of shelves. On a rack to their left were hung many uniforms identical to hers, in all different sizes. She ferreted through them for a moment, pulling one out with a bright smile. "Here we go! Take this, and I'll show you where the change rooms are."

"But – hold on a second!" Kim exclaimed, digging her heels into the ground. The waitress came to a stop and turned around obediently.

"What?"

"Is that… seriously it?" Kim asked, disbelieving.

She beamed again, nodding cheerfully. "That's it! Your interview went over very well."

"_That _was my _interview_?!" Kim cried. Ten questions? Really?

"Sure was. Don't look so surprised," the waitress laughed. "Besides, that's the easy part. The _real _interview comes next."

Kim wasn't sure she liked the foreboding smirk in the girl's pretty, glittering blue eyes, or the heavy meaning in her words.

"Now, hurry up, or he'll get impatient," the waitress said, pulling her down the corridor once more.

* * *

Kim stared at her reflection in horror. She looked like… a marshmallow.

The stupidly frilly dressed sat neatly, hugging her figure perfectly. The net petticoats under the skirt were itchy against her legs, and the sleeves were a bit uncomfortable, but otherwise, it felt fine. But as for looks…

"How does it feel?" the waitress called from outside the room.

"Er… okay…" Kim replied.

How had this happened? How was she suddenly wearing one of those disgusting uniforms? She hadn't even liked it on the other girl. Now she had one _herself_?

The door opened. "Let's have a loo– Oh! You're so _adorable_!"

Kim blushed furiously. The waitress clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. "Now, you just need the final touches…"

Kim sat obediently on a plush red pouffe while the other pulled her hair into pigtails like hers, tying white ribbons around them, and fixed the little crown on her head. She reached for a pair of Skitty ears.

"Uh…" Kim trailed off, holding up her hands. "Do I really have to wear those?"

"Of course!" the waitress replied, beaming. "They're the best part of the uniform. Everyone loves us because of our Skitty ears!"

Kim sighed, sagging reluctantly while she carefully placed the stupid cat ears on her head. Now she felt like an idiot, and looked even worse. There was no way she was leaving this room. No-one could _ever _see her like–

"Come on."

Before she could protest, the waitress had hauled her up and pushed her out the door.

"Ooh!" the velvet-dressed man boomed appreciatively, rising from his chair, his cheeks pinkening, his eyes shining. "She's so cute! So delicate! So beautiful! Just like a gorgeous little precious Skitty!"

Oh, God. This guy was a damn Pokémon Fan. Mayday! Mayday!

Before she could even speak, he'd swept her up into a bone-crushing, smothering hug. Kim's eyes nearly bugged out of her head. She froze, wondering whether to wriggle free and call Officer Jenny – this guy could be a huge paedophile! Instead, she hung limply until he returned her feet to the floor. He let go and pushed her back, still holding her shoulders.

"Yes, I think it fits," he said, nodding appreciatively. "As snug as a glove. Now, don't you worry, little pet–" Kim shuddered inwardly "–You'll be taken care of. We won't bite. If you have any questions or concerns, the lovely sweet pea behind you will gladly look after you. I trust you'll organise everything?" he spoke now to the blonde waitress.

"Of course," she replied playfully. "When have I ever failed you, Walter?"

"Oh, you're my little angel, darling," he cooed in return. Kim thought she might actually be sick. "Good, good. You're in charge of getting this little petal up to speed. Let me know how things go."

"No problem," the girl replied cheerfully. She took hold of Kim's arm and dragged her out of the office, throwing a merry "'Bye!" over her shoulder.

"Wonderful!" she said, once they were outside, the door closed behind them. "That's test two passed with flying colours."

"H-how many tests _are _there?" Kim asked nervously. Her head was spinning. In all, it had probably been about twenty minutes since she'd arrived. It felt like her life had been thrown on its head.

"Not many," the girl replied. "Don't worry; it'll be a synch. You'll fit in perfectly, trust me." She led the way back down the corridor, still speaking. "Now, my name's Cora. You can come to me at any time with anything, okay? Don't hesitate to ask questions. We'll get your Skitty sorted on Monday when you come in – make sure you're here by four, okay? And you'll meet the others then, too. Friday's our busiest day, so you won't be able to meet them today. Make sure you dry-clean your uniform; the colour will fade if you throw it in the washing machine. I'd know, I've gone through two already." She laughed nervously. "I think that's it for now. Any questions?"

Only one. Could she talk a little slower?

"I think I'm okay."

"Great!" Cora chirped merrily. "You can go and get changed again now. Oh, I'm so proud of you!" She pulled Kim into a spontaneous hug. Kim cringed; was everyone in this place so openly affectionate? "Welcome to the team, Kimmy!"

She let go, beaming, and skipped away, leaving Kim feeling like she'd been hit by a sparkly pink tornado.

"So, how'd it go?" Nina asked, smiling hopefully when she returned, her brand new uniform folded neatly into a pink and white striped cardboard box. Her friend's fingers were crossed tightly; Pichu perked its ears up in anticipation.

"I'm going to kill you," Kim replied calmly, accentuating each word clearly. Without looking back, she stomped grumpily out of the café.

* * *

**A/N: Oh, poor, poor Kim. What in the world has she gotten herself into? Well, you'll soon see XD**

**5 reviews = update :)**

**Love,**

**Cherrie xx**


	3. Welcome, Welcome!

**May 3, 2010.**

**A/N: Greetings, fictioners.**

**So, a question. Does anybody actually like this story? Does anybody think I should continue it? If so, could you PLEASE let me know? And if not, PLEASE let me know. Reviewing takes two seconds, guys. People don't post stories on this site for no reason; it's fan-art - we all write for each other. But if no-one wants me to continue, then I don't want to waste my time on a story nobody reads. According to the Story Traffic tab, PK has had 62 hits since being posted.**

**Sixty-two. **

**Clearly, someone is reading. So, if you would like an update, please please PLEASE review. I don't think I'll update otherwise.**

**Having said that, thanks to **Keiichiro-San**, **Absh**, **Melancholic Marshmallow **and **Bel Disastro **for reviewing.**

**Warning: Filler chapter. Not much happens - lots of character introduction.**

* * *

**~ PRETTY KITTY ~**

**Three: Welcome, Welcome!**

* * *

Kim gripped the strap of her school bag tightly, nervously, staring at the lace-curtained door before her. _Go in… don't go in… Go in… don't go in… _

Against her better judgment, she'd gotten on the bus after school, and now here she was, her school bag extra full due to her uniform being stuffed inside with all her books.

_You can't not go in, _she told herself miserably. _But you're probably about to ruin your –AARGH!_

Cora waved cheerfully from behind the door. Kim hoped she'd imagined the predatory glint in her dazzling blue eyes. It was a little creepy how she kept popping up without warning. Cora beamed and beckoned eagerly. With a heavy sigh, she reluctantly surrendered herself to the horror that awaited inside.

"Hi!" Cora greeted her enthusiastically. Kim winced; her poor, poor ears. "How was your weekend?"

"Uh… yeah, it was okay," Kim replied, a little awkwardly. "How was yours?"

"Wonderful! Thanks for asking!" Cora replied cheerfully, her blonde pigtails swaying as she moved. "Ready to work?"

No. "Yes."

"I hope you bought your uniform."

"I did. I'll just go… get changed?" Kim asked uncertainly.

Cora nodded merrily. "You remember where the room is?"

Kim gazed at her reflection with a mixture of nerves and misery. _Well, _she told herself, _you've got the job now. Better just make the most of it._

She cringed and forced herself to reach for the stupid Skitty ears. Trying to convince herself that she really didn't look as childish as she felt, she set them in place and brushed a crease out of her frilly white apron. She hoped her boring, black school shoes were good enough; they were nothing like Cora's flashy, designer boots. She chewed her lip, shrugged, took a deep breath, and forced her legs to walk back out.

It was busy today, but not as packed as it had been when she was last in. Approximately half of the tables were taken, and there was a pleasant buzz of chatter in the air. Another waitress walked past with a heart-shaped tray laden with cakes and drinks, glancing curiously down the corridor as she passed. She shot Kim a small smile and disappeared.

"There she is!" Cora's voice cried when she tiptoed into the dining hall. The blonde girl was standing by the glass counter with another. She looked around curiously. "Over here, Kimmy!"

Yeah, she'd have to do something about that. She hadn't been called 'Kimmy' since kindergarten. Her fingers twisting together nervously, she headed over to the display cabinet.

"Time to meet some people!" Cora declared, beaming. By jove she was cheerful, like a ray of sunshine. She turned to the girl with her. She was short and fit, with her short, dark brown hair pulled into two incredibly cute, low pigtails. A few strands of brown had strayed across her face. Her eyes were brilliant emerald and sparkling with energy. With her uniform she wore a pair of plain white over-the-knee socks, and some sporty black sneakers.

"Hey," she said. "I'm Charmaine. But no-one calls me that. It's Charlie."

She thrust one hand towards Kim, who took it in her own. Charlie grinned impishly and shook it with enthusiasm.

"Kimberley," Kim replied. "Kim for short."

The girl who'd smiled at her before returned now, her tray empty. She was tall and elegant, with long arms and legs, long auburn waves, and gentle, dreamy eyes behind a pair of round, gold-rimmed glasses. The ankle socks she wore with her black ballet flats were trimmed with delicate lace. She gave Kim another shy smile; her eyes were timid and uncertain.

"This is Lizzie," Cora introduced. She gave Kim a knowing look. "She doesn't talk much. Do you, Liz?"

Lizzie blushed sweetly and put her tray down on the bench. "I do," she said, in a soft, gentle voice that matched her soft, gentle eyes. Just… not when there's nothing to say." She smiled at Kim. "It's very nice to meet you."

"You, too," Kim replied, returning the smile. She liked Lizzie already. The shy girl pushed her glasses up her nose, peering around the bar.

She turned back. "Where's Jason?"

"Present," said a male voice. From a doorway into the kitchen strode a tall boy with messy dark locks tumbling into his almost-black eyes. His skin was a smooth olive tone, his smile more of a smirk. The muscles beneath the casually-rolled-up sleeves of his black shirt were noticeably toned. He reached for a cloth lying on the bench and flashed a boyish grin at Kim, who – despite hardly saying anything – felt suddenly considerably quieter. "Hello, newbie."

"H-hi," she replied shyly, feeling her cheeks pinken. He grinned at her again and turned his attention to Lizzie. "What can I get you, Liz?"

"Oh," Lizzie started, blushing and laughing apologetically. "A strawberry milkshake and two Soda Pops, please."

"Coming right up," he said, turning to a set of large, glass-door fridges behind him.

"Jason does drinks," Cora explained. "Jas, where are your manners? Say hi to the new girl."

"Already did, Coraline," Jason replied over his shoulder. He opened the cans of Soda Pop and put them on Lizzie's tray, glancing over at Kim. "She hasn't given me a name yet."

"It's Kim," she stammered, embarrassed. That smirk flashed her way again.

"They'll like this one," he commented to Cora. "She blushes."

"Oh, leave her alone," Cora replied, smiling nonetheless. She turned to Kim, who was feeling very confused and insignificant, and was wondering who he was talking about. She realised the other girl she'd met – Charlie – had disappeared. "Never mind him; he just likes to cause trouble."

"Only 'cause I'm good at it," Jason replied.

Cora laughed, shaking her head. "Come with me, Kimmy."

"I-it's Kim…" Kim trailed off, following Cora behind the bar (she noticed, as they passed, that Jason smelled rather delicious), but the blonde seemed to not have heard. Past the fridges and through the doorway, she found herself standing in the long, industrial kitchen. Pots and pans sat on shelves above the steel-topped island, and the place was busy with the sounds of clanging and stirring, of sizzling and splashing, as Pokémon of all kinds worked away. And it smelled _divine. _Like… raspberries… and sugar… and condensed milk… and something tantalisingly spicy.

Summed up, it smelled like a very yummy cake.

"What're you doing in here?" a pleasant male voice asked from their right. Standing in front of a big oven, stooped a little so he could see the interior, his long fingers fiddling with the temperature dial, was a tall, thin boy in a white chef's jacket and hat, and black and white chequered pants. There were smudges of flour on his arms and cheeks. The few strands of silky hair that poked out from under his hat were coppery; his long-lashed eyes a gentle hazel.

"Just showing the new girl around," Cora replied. "Kim, this is Noah, the pastry chef. Noah, our new waitress, Kimmy."

"Hi," he said, smiling in a friendly manner; it lit up his already cute face. "Nice to meet you."

"Yeah…" Kim trailed off. Two stupidly good-looking guys in the space of five minutes… It was too much for her hormones to handle; her brain was crashing. The part that connected intelligence to her voice box seemed to be malfunctioning.

"Hey, Alf," Noah called suddenly. "Can you bring the whipped cream from the cool room?"

"Yep," a muffled voice responded. A few moments later, a steel door to their left burst open, and another, lanky boy appeared, struggling with the containers stacked in his arms. He gave a sharp cry as he tripped over the slightly-too-long hem of his pants, and a canister of whipped cream flew off the top. From behind him cantered a small, yellow camel Pokémon. With a flying leap, it caught the canister in its mouth and landed safely, turning to face him proudly.

"Num," it said through the canister.

The boy sighed, visibly sagging with relief. "Thanks, Numel. Don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be a walking disaster," Noah laughed. He reached down and took the cream from Numel. "Thanks."

The little Numel smiled happily and plodded back to the blonde boy's side. His hair was fluffy, almost curly, and sun-kissed, shining in the kitchen's bright lights. Sighing heavily, he dumped the armload of containers on the bench and turned around, dusting his hands off. His warm brown eyes caught sight of the two girls watching, and he promptly blushed. "Oh. Hi."

"Hello, Alfie," Cora said, smirking. "Having one of those days, huh?"

He laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, his cheeks bright red. "Kind of." He glanced shyly at Kim, and quickly away. Cora smiled hugely.

"This is Kimmy," she said. "Alfie's the kitchen hand," she explained to Kim. "And I think that's everyone of importance in here. Have fun, boys."

"'Bye," Kim added, following Cora back to the doorway.

"See ya," Alfie replied. Noah called a vague farewell, back to concentrating on the oven.

"He's quite taken with you," Cora teased, clearly delighted. "But then, poor Alfie's overwhelmed by practically any girl who talks to him. He's a bit of a goofball, the poor kid."

"How much younger is he?" Kim asked curiously, surprised. He didn't seem much younger than them, but looks could be deceiving.

Cora laughed. "He's actually older than me. Only by a year. He doesn't act it, though, right?"

Kim didn't know whether it was her place to agree, so she stayed quiet. With a giggle, Cora spontaneously grabbed her arm, hauling her back towards the bar. "Well, better get you trained up!"

She positioned a flustered Kim in front of the display cabinet.

"Okay!" Cora began cheerfully. "The cakes are made fresh every single morning, but the variety changes daily. Obviously they don't keep baking the same ones over and over again. How boring!" She laughed, blue eyes sparkling. "So, this one here is the strawberry cheesecake, and this one is the raspberry shortcake. There is the lemon meringue, and that one is the double chocolate fudge. Over _here _we have–"

"Out of my way."

Kim jumped and glanced over her shoulder; Cora fell silent. Behind them stood an incredibly pale-skinned girl with an impossibly skinny frame. Her sharp, violet eyes were hidden behind a thick black box fringe. The rest of her jet black hair was tied into two thick plaits that hung down her back. Her eyes were rimmed with kohl and smudged with smoky eye shadow. With the pink uniform (which looked utterly out of place) she wore a pair of holey fishnet stockings and some chunky black, heeled boots decorated with heavy buckles and zippers. Her arms were encased in a pair of black elbow-length fingerless gloves; her long fingernails were painted stark blood red.

"You don't have to be so rude, Bella," Cora scolded, frowning. The other girl flicked her cold gaze up and down Kim's figure once, judging, then looked away in an obviously dismissive gesture. She fired a sort of impassive glare at Cora.

"I need to get through to do my job," she said, in a flat, bored voice. "So move."

"Sorry," Kim stammered, scuttling aside, her cheeks red. Wow. Talk about an attitude. The black-haired girl walked through the gap they'd made without batting an eyelash, slamming her heart-shaped tray down on the counter.

"Jason," she said loudly. "Get me two Fresh Waters and three raspberry sodas."

Without waiting for him to reply, or even appear, she left again, without even glancing at either Cora or Kim.

"And that," Cora said with a sigh, when she was gone, "is Arabella. Never call her that, though; she'll add you to her hit list. It's Bella, if you ever get the chance to talk to her. Don't expect to, but don't let her push you around either. The girl has some serious issues, but that doesn't mean she can bully everyone."

"R-right," Kim muttered, wide-eyed. Never had she met someone who left such a poisonous first impression.

"Just try not to get in her way," Cora advised. "She gets testy."

No kidding. "Sure…"

"She's not so scary," Cora assured her merrily. "She's just a little rough around the edges. Trust me; you'll get used to her. Now, where were we…?"

Shakily, Kim turned back to the display cabinet. Of all the sorts of people she'd imagined might waitress at the Pretty Skitty Café, a girl like Arabella was the last type she'd have ever expected.

"What'd she want?" Jason asked, ducking his head out of the kitchen entry.

"Two Fresh waters and three raspberry sodas," Cora recalled cheerfully, without even looking up. "Oh, now this one, Kimmy, is the triple-choc delight, and this one is the honey almond surprise. Of course, we also have cakes especially for Pokémon. That one over there…"

Kim wished she had a notepad; there was no way she was going to remember all of these. She chewed her lip worriedly and glanced up, panicking a little. Would she be expected to know all this today? She caught Jason looking at her and blushed furiously, looking away again rapidly. Great. Now she didn't just feel like a loser, she probably looked like one, too.

A little breath of air tousled her fringe and she looked up again, surprised. Jason had moved to stand opposite her, offering out his hand. In it was a small notepad and a pen. While Cora babbled away ignorantly in the background, a smile of relief and gratitude cracked Kim's face, and she reached thankfully for the paper. Firing a wink at her, Jason moved away to make Bella's drinks.

* * *

"So!" Cora said, clapping her hands together efficiently. Kim stopped frantically scribbling. "Before you start working, we should probably organise your Skitty."

"My… Skitty…?"

"Yup!" Cora replied, nodding enthusiastically. Her blonde pigtails swung wildly. "It's part of the job description. Every waitress who works here has to have a Skitty partner. Walter likes it when we walk around with one at our heels; it adds to our adorable charm. Besides," she added cheerfully, "the customers love having their cakes brought to them by a Skitty!"

"Er…" How exactly was that even possible?

"Charlie!" Cora called, grabbing a hold of the smaller girl's arm as she passed by with a full tray of dirty dishes. "You're in charge while we're gone. I'm taking Kimmy to the cattery."

"Sure thing," Charlie replied, smiling widely. The freckles on her nose scrunched up as she grinned. She tossed her head to clear her brilliant green eyes of fringe and looked at Kim. "Good luck!" Her eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Okay, you can keep working now," Cora said pointedly, pushing her towards the kitchen. She laughed – Kim couldn't help thinking it sounded a little forced. Was there something she should be worried about? Before she could speak, however, bubbly Cora had grabbed her arm and was tugging her towards the door.

"This is the best part of the job!" she explained excitedly. "Skittys are so cute, and the first time you meet your partner is such a precious moment!"

She pushed the glass door open, and, with a merry tinkling from the bell overhead, they walked out onto the street.

"So… when you say partner," Kim said, voicing a concern, "do you mean I'm the Skitty's trainer?"

"That's right!" Cora replied, beaming. "The little sweetie-pie becomes yours to love and cherish for all eternity! Make sure you always bring it with you to the café, though. Walter gets grumpy when we forget. It's much easier to have it board at the cattery overnight – that's what the rest of us do."

You mean, she was being _given _a Pokémon?! It seemed too good to be true.

"Does… Walter–" She struggled to remember his name "–take the Skitty back when you quit?"

"It's his policy to," Cora replied. "But all of the previous girls have kept them, because the Pokémon became too attached to them." She laughed cheerfully. "He doesn't mind. The cattery always has freshly-caught Skitty ready for us to train. Oh, here we are!"

It really wasn't very far from the café at all. Perhaps a block's walk away. The front of the place was decorated to look like a pink and orange castle. It was appropriately named: **Skitty Kingdom**. Underneath was the slogan: **A Skitty-lover's Heaven! **Cora pushed open the front door, and Kim followed her inside.

There was a large desk straight ahead, and the entire right wall was a huge display of Skitty-aimed toys and accessories. Kim looked at the enormous range of silky ribbons and bows and blanched. So… _girly_…

"Hi, Cora." The voice belonged to a girl a few years older than them, in a pink, collared t-shirt and a peaked cap with the Skitty Kingdom logo emblazoned on it. The hair underneath was dark brown, and tied in a low ponytail. A set of keys hung from a paw-print lanyard around her neck. "How are you?"

"Hey, Julie!" Cora returned cheerfully. "I'm great. Just bringing the new girl in to get her Skitty."

"Oh, this is the new waitress?" Julie's dark blue eyes were friendly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Julie."

"I'm Kim," she replied, smiling. Julie's eyes flickered to Cora; they shared a _look_. Kim wondered what it meant. She didn't have time to dwell on it, though; next moment, Cora had her by the arm again and was dragging her down a corridor after Julie.

"You must be excited," Julie said over her shoulder, opening a door to their left. The sound of faint mewing came from all directions; the place seemed to be full of cat Pokémon. "Getting your Skitty is a pretty important moment."

"Yeah…" Kim replied, thinking that the other girls must have been much more enthused about this than she was. Actually, she was pretty hesitant about it all. Though she couldn't imagine Bella would've been too excitable, either. The thought was appeasing.

"Are you ready?" Julie asked, smiling over her shoulder. "Your new partner is just behind this door."

Cora squeezed her arm excitedly.

"Um, yeah," Kim replied, feeling suddenly nervous. "I guess I'm ready."

Little did our heroine know, she would_ never _be ready for what she was about to be acquainted with.

* * *

**A/N: My, oh my, what on earth is Kim about to discover? Well, you'll make the discovery yourself, next chapter! :3**

**You know the drill. 5 reviews = update.**

**Until the next update!**

**Love,**

**Cherrie xx**


	4. Here's His Pokéball

**May 6, 2010.**

**A/N: Here you go, guys! Thanks for the positive response to last chapter :) I've put in extra effort for you guys; the next chapter is finished too, so if you like this one, review! You know how to get the next one :P**

**Thanks to **kurochanwithwings**, **Melancholic Marshmallow**, **TheSuperSkitty**, **Keiichiro-San**, and **chocolate **for reviewing! You make this story happen :D**

* * *

**~ PRETTY KITTY ~**

**Four: Here's His Pokéball**

* * *

"Aww, it's so _cute_!"

Round head, pointy, triple-tipped cat ears, a little pink body, four stubby little paws, and a long, thin tail ending in a balloon-like tip with little bobbles. Plus the most adorable little face under a crescent-moon-shaped, pink forehead.

"Hello, there," Kim cooed, reaching eagerly for the little kitten Pokémon.

With a yowl, the Skitty opened its mouth wide and chomped down hard on her hand.

"Eeyah!" Kim shrieked, leaping back automatically, massaging her fingers. She shot a confused, accusing glance at Cora, who laughed nervously.

The Skitty glared heatedly at her from its cushion, curling up into a tighter ball and facing away from her.

"This," Julie said tensely, "is Rhino."

"Rhino?" Kim repeated. The kitten's ears perked up for a second at its name, then flattened again. It paid them all no mind, obviously pretending they weren't there.

"He's got a little bit of an attitude problem," Julie said, choosing her words carefully.

_You don't say_, Kim thought wryly, still rubbing her lanced hand. Gosh, the thing hard sharp teeth! She stared down at it in dismay.

"Nothing that can't be nutted out, right Kimmy?" Cora said cheerfully. Her merriness sounded forced this time. Kim glanced at her. Her bright smiled faltered.

Julie bent down so she was at the Skitty's eye-level. "Hey, Rhino," she said in a friendly, pleasant voice. "This is your new Trainer. Why don't you turn around and say hello?"

Rhino hissed unapproachably. She recoiled and turned desperate eyes to the two waitresses.

"He's a little rough around the edges," she said, sounding very much like she wished she could believe the words she was saying, "but he'll warm up to you."

"Has he warmed up to anyone before?" Kim asked pointedly, arms crossed.

Julie laughed nervously. "Well…"

"Wait, Kimmy!" Cora cried, tugging with all her might on the back of Kim's dress. "You can't leave! He's your Pokémon now! You have to take him!"

"He – hates – everyone!" Kim growled, making a valiant attempt to reach for the door handle. She finally latched onto it and held on tightly with both hands. Cora, who was being weighted down by Julie, yanked with all her might. They hit a moot point.

"Don't you have any other Skittys?" Kim asked hopefully over her shoulder. "Preferably ones that don't bite?"

"Rhino's the last one," Julie replied desperately. "He's all we've got at the moment."

"That's okay," Kim said, thinking on the spot. "I'll come back when you get more in."

"Kimmy!" Cora wailed. "You have to have a Skitty _now_! Walter will get mad!"

"I doubt he can get as cranky as that mental thing probably is _permanently_!" Kim shot back. "I'd rather get sacked than get stuck with something that'll try to chew my fingers off!"

"Please!" Julie cried. "You have to take him! He's been here for so long; we just can't handle him anymore, and no-one else wants him–"

At this, Kim abruptly let go of the handle, and the three of them sprawled unceremoniously on the floor. She couldn't help it; even if the feral creature was mangy and predatory, it was still a Pokémon, and it deserved to be loved as much as any other Pokémon. She couldn't help feeling sorry for it.

Julie sat up, blushing. Apparently, admitting the Skitty was too much of a handful was shameful. Kim glanced at her reproachfully.

"You're Skitty breeders," she reprimanded. "And you've given up on him? That's terrible! You know what? I _will _take him with me, just to prove you wrong. The poor little guy."

Julie sagged with a huge sigh of relief. She smiled dizzily. "That's – that's great. O-okay. Just let me get his Pokéball…"

Kim and Cora were sitting quietly in the foyer, waiting patiently and not saying much. A TV in the corner showed a Pokémon drama that Kim was half watching. The alarming sounds coming from down the hall drowned out the voices on the television, though, no matter how much she tried to ignore them. Rhino was yowling and hissing fiercely, and every now and then Julie yelped or squealed.

Finally, she reappeared, her scratch-adorned arms clamped securely around a wicker basket. From behind the little door came a stream of angry spitting and hissing. Julie looked terrified; she held the basket with a vice-like grip, obviously afraid the monster inside would burst out at any moment and attack them all.

"H-here you go," she said nervously, holding the basket out with shaking hands. "He wouldn't get in his Pokéball… Here it is." She held out a small red and white ball, which Kim pocketed. "He's all yours." Clearly, the breeder couldn't have been happier if she'd just won a million dollars. Suddenly wondering if she hadn't just made the worst decision in her life, Kim gingerly took the basket. Immediately, Rhino started thrashing around inside, throwing his little body at the door and screeching furiously.

Kim shrieked, dropping the basket and covering her ears. The latch unlocked and the door sprang open. With a crash and a blur of pink, Rhino burst out of the basket and thundered around the foyer like a wild tornado. Screaming and shouting, all three girls leaped for higher ground – the row of seats. Rhino hissed up at them with hostility, baring his sharp little teeth and growling menacingly.

Yes. Growling.

"Okay," Julie panted heavily, eyes on the kitten Pokémon. "Here's the plan of attack. When I say, Cora, you make a dash for the leash display in the corner, while _you_ distract it."

"Me?" Kim squeaked in terror. "Why me?"

"You're its Trainer," Julie said simply. Kim's heart plummeted, landing on the floor somewhere near her feet. Oh dear. Just what had she bargained for in this Pokémon?

"Go!" Julie yelled, and pushed Kim off the seats. With a sharp cry and a loud crash, she landed in a heap on the floor. Rhino leaped at her. Cora scuttled for the far corner. Julie made a break for her desk.

"Ow! Owowow!" Kim squealed, curling into a ball and covering her head with her arms. Rhino was making a concerted effort to scratch her face off. "Cora! Hurry up! Aaargh!"

"I'm coming! I'm coming!" Cora called back, wrestling with a tangle of leashes until she managed to prise one free. Holding it like a writhing Ekans in her hands, she hurried back, skidding to a stop a safe ten metres from the Skitty.

"Have you got it?" Kim wailed, tears streaming down her face. Rhino yowled ferociously, digging his ridiculously sharp claws into her neck.

"Y-yes!" Cora stammered.

"THEN DO SOMETHING WITH IT!"

"Okay, okay!" Cora cried, jumping violently. She approached the feral Skitty with extreme caution, managing to jump at it and pin it for a second, taking it completely by surprise and clipping the leash to the collar around its neck. Realising its captivity, Rhino yowled extra loudly – Kim couldn't help but think it sounded awfully like a war-cry – and started thrashing around violently, turning to face its new enemy. Cora screamed like a Victreebel and leaped for the seats.

"Take it, take it,_ take it_!" she wailed, holding the taught leash out towards Kim, who was struggling dazedly from the ground. Oh, Jesus, she was _bleeding. _She took one look at Rhino trying to launch up onto the seats to get at Cora, who was cowering in terror, and grabbed the leash violently.

"Come on, you!" she snapped at the furious kitten Pokémon. "We're going now. Cora, get the basket."

Gripping Rhino's leash tightly, she stomped from **Skitty Kingdom**, Rhino doing his very best to dig his tiny (lethal) paws into the ground and fight against her.

* * *

Somehow, Kim and Cora managed to successfully force Rhino back into his basket, and, after checking the latch was securely locked, they dropped exhaustedly onto a bench beside the road to examine the damage. Cars flashed behind them, whipping their hair out of their faces.

"Ow…" Cora moaned, licking one finger and pressing it to a stinging cut on her arm. "That's one feisty Skitty."

"I think we should leave it in its basket," Kim replied, imaging the disaster it would cause at the café. Chaos. Absolute, utter chaos. Pandemonium. Bedlam. _Hell._

"Good idea," Cora agreed shakily. "Walter won't like that, but he'd probably like it better than it scaring away all the customers."

"And destroying the furniture, and putting all his staff in intensive care," Kim added wryly.

Cora laughed nervously, mistakenly thinking it a joke.

"Well," she said finally, "until it's trained up properly, I guess you'll just have to work without it. I mean, at least you've actually got one."

"Yeah…" Kim replied, unsure whether she should agree with that or not. In her opinion, there was no redeeming 'at least' in having Rhino as her Pokémon.

_At least he's not homeless anymore, _she forcefully corrected herself. That didn't quite appease her angst, though. She thought of Pichu, and imagined Rhino making a snack out of her tiny electric mouse Pokémon. Oh dear. This _was _going to be difficult.

"Come on," Cora said brightly, cheerful once more. "Let's get back to the café. I've still got lots to teach you!"

Everyone at the Pretty Skitty Café was curious about Kim's new Skitty, to say the least. The moment the pair walked through the glass door, they were bombarded with questions and inquisitive glances – most of the customers were excited, it turned out. It didn't take long for everyone to back off, though – one aggressive snarl from Rhino and they all jumped away hastily.

"Oh, my," Lizzie said eventually, as they all – bar Bella – crowded around the angry, spitting basket. "He's quite vocal, isn't he?"

"He's a _monster_," Kim corrected with a sigh. Rhino hissed unappreciatively.

"Well he sure got stuck into you two!" Charlie grinned, examining the many scrapes covering their arms. "He'll be a great battler."

"Let's just leave him in the corner behind the bar, for now," Cora decided. "And make sure you warn Jason, or he'll get the shock of his life!"

Rhino's basket was tucked away safely under the bar.

"Be good," Kim said hesitantly, unsure of how to approach her new Pokémon. He growled at her.

"Okay!" Cora said, back to her cheery self. "Now that you've got your Skitty, it's time to meet ours! Aroma!"

From between the white tables sauntered – yes, _sauntered_ – a petite Skitty, smaller in size than Rhino, and definitely feminine. Her tail swished behind her like a poised Ekans, sultry and distracting. She mewed huskily and sat, delicately preening her glossy fur. Cora had tied red ribbons around its ears and tail. Kim blinked down at her.

"This is my Skitty," Cora explained, bending down to tickle its ears fondly. An appreciative whistle sounded from a table of guys behind them, and she straightened up, turning around and flashing them a playful wink. Apparently, she was completely comfortable with flashing her underwear around the café. It figured that her Skitty would be as flirtatious as Kim suspected its Trainer was.

"This is Shimmer," Lizzie said, dragging her out of her thoughts. The Skitty sitting quietly at her feet was lighter in colour than both Aroma and Rhino. She – the ice-blue and white, diamante-studded collar around her neck was the giveaway – glanced up uncertainly at Kim and shied behind Lizzie's legs, mewing its concern quietly.

Lizzie laughed gently. "It's okay, Shimmer. Kim is a friend. You don't have to be afraid of her."

"And this," Charlie chimed in enthusiastically and stealing the spotlight, "is Scamper!"

_Scamper? _Kim thought sceptically. _What kind of name is that?_ She immediately learned the appropriateness of his name; the moment he was called, he scampered over, a bundle of energy, and began tugging at Charlie's shoelaces, his tail curling around behind him, almost wagging like a Growlithe's. With a very cute 'Nya!', he bounced back, knocking the empty glasses from the tray strapped to Shimmer's back as he bumped into her. They clattered noisily against the floor, though none broke.

"Watch out, Scamp," Charlie laughed. "You're gonna break something soon."

Evidently, Scamper didn't really take this as a reprimand, and Kim could understand why; Charlie was grinning all over her impish little face as she said it, and she bent down to ruffle his furry pink head affectionately. He scuttled in an enthusiastic little circle. It seemed her Skitty simply couldn't keep its paws still.

"Excuse me," an unpleased voice snapped from behind them, sounding much more irritated than polite. They all fell silent and looked around obediently. Bella, full tray in skinny hands, was glaring darkly. The Skitty winding itself between her legs shot them all a disapproving, smug look, purring in what Kim could only describe as a spiteful manner. It had a thick, black-leather, silver-spike-studded collar around its neck, effectively making it very intimidating.

"Would you mind doing some work?" Bella snapped coldly, each word like a stinging blow. "I don't come here to do everything by myself. There are tables to be waited on."

She stormed moodily into the kitchen, her Skitty shooting them glowers over its prissy little shoulder.

"And Bella's Skitty is called Shadow," Cora explained with a sigh. "Appropriate, right? They have identical personalities. It's almost scary."

Kim couldn't help but think that _all of them _had Skittys that fitted their personalities to a T. Except, of course, for her. Unless everyone around her saw her as cantankerous as she saw Rhino… The little Kim inside her twisted her fingers together anxiously. She didn't think she was _that _bad-tempered. Concluding that she'd simply landed the rotten egg, Kim sighed inwardly, bemoaning this fate. How she wished she had a Skitty that was easy to get along with, like everyone else…

"How do you get the trays to stay on their backs?" she asked curiously, changing the subject as she watched Scamper dart around, the tray somehow miraculously not flinging off violently.

"Good question!" Cora beamed. "Lizzie, Charlie, would you check the floor and make sure everyone's fine out there?"

They disappeared, their Skittys padding loyally after them (well, Shimmer padded; Scamper bounded).

"Aroma, hold still for a sec, okay?" Cora knelt down beside her Skitty, and with a clipping noise, removed what appeared to be a little black belt. The tray came off with it, and Kim saw that it was attached somehow.

"Clever," she commented, impressed.

"You clip this belt around the Skitty's waist," Cora explained, "and then load up the tray. Skittys can really only carry two to three drinks at a time; any more and the weight is just too heavy. You can take the tray off, too, see?" She pulled them apart with a ripping noise; underneath were two strips of Velcro. Putting the set back together, she re-clipped it to Aroma.

"And you're done!" she finished brightly, beaming, her blue eyes sparkling. "Okay. Wait right here, and I'll get yours."

She returned from the store room with one identical to Aroma's, which Kim put in her bag and left in the change rooms. She definitely wouldn't be using it today.

"Alright," Cora said brightly. "Now that that's all out of the way, I guess it's time to start training you!"

A loud yell and a series of ominous thumps interrupted them, and everyone looked around in alarm to find Jason, having sprung back from the counter with one hand over his heart in shock, staring wide-eyed down at the ground, his expression a mixture of alarm and terror. A stream of hateful yowls sounded from the general location of Rhino's basket.

Cora giggled guiltily. "Oops. I guess we forgot to warn Jason."

* * *

**A/N: What a monster! What on earth is Kim going to do with him? And how will things go with Pichu? **

**Wanna find out? 5 reviews = update!**

**Love,**

**Cherrie xx**


	5. Woe is Me

**May 7, 2010.**

**A/N: Yay! You guys are great! Because I'm so overjoyed, and because I won't have another chance for a good few days, I'm posting up the next chapter now. Yup: two in two days :D **

**// HAVE YOUR SAY // **

**I need you all to take a second and look at this question, okay? Leave your responses (creative/logical, please!) in a review, and I'll put up a poll so we can all decide on his back-story together :)**

**::**

**Q: **_**So, why do YOU think Rhino is such an abnormally unruly Skitty?**_

**::**

**Thanks so much **happy cubone**, **kurochanwithwings**, **Lopunnu**, **Absh **and **tammy-is-a-turtle** for reviewing :D**

**I'll leave this one up until either A) I finish the next chapter, or B) there are enough reviews to post it XD**

* * *

**~ PRETTY KITTY ~**

**Five: Woe is Me**

* * *

"Take this to table eighteen."

"Table twenty-five needs to be cleared."

"Can you ask if the strawberry torte is gluten-free?"

"Um… that's not our order…"

"Kimmy! Table eighteen!"

"Please take this to thirty-one."

"Uh, I asked for lemon, not lime."

"Four wants drinks, someone."

"Table eighteen needs to be cleared now."

"Oh, that's not a lemon meringue, sorry!"

"No, no, no! Stop! You're going to the wrong table!"

"You know what, I'll just go to table four _myself_."

Kim sighed heavily, clearing her tray onto the bench in the kitchen. Her arms were tired from carrying tray after tray of heavy dishes and drinks to the many waiting tables, her legs hurt from walking around so much, and her brain hurt from trying to remember which table was where. Frankly, she didn't think she'd ever been to a restaurant that had its tables set up in a_ spiral. _Leave it to the Pretty Skitty Cafe to be completely ridiculous. Her backside hurt, too, from all the times she'd unsuspectingly tripped over a troublesome Skitty. It really was a bother the way they wandered quietly between the tables; they were like deliberate, moving obstacles.

And her uniform was itchy – really, really itchy.

She put her heart-shaped tray down and reached around to scratch at her back. Naturally, the itch would be in a position that was _just _out of reach.

"You okay?"

Kim jumped and turned, startled. The kitchen hand was watching her with wide, slightly alarmed eyes. She blushed, staring back at him and not knowing what to say.

"You've got flour in your hair."

It was his turn to redden. He reached up with one floury hand to brush the flour from his curly blonde fringe, but effectively only patted more _into _it.

"Better?"

"Um… never mind."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"It's Alfie, isn't it?" Kim asked eventually, wondering why he wasn't walking away, or doing his job.  
She was taking refuge in here; out there it was like a battlefield. It was loud and busy and, frankly, completely overwhelming.

"Yeah," Alfie replied. His dull-faced Numel peered out lazily from behind his legs. It was astonishing how goofy they both looked. Another pair that was a seemingly perfect match-up.

Quick footsteps broke their awkward chatter, and Charlie bounced in, Scamper bounding along behind her, the empty glasses on his back clinking together.

"Hey, you two!" Charlie said, grinning mischievously. "Break it up and get back to work."

"S-sorry," Alfie stammered, his face turning even redder. He hurriedly busied himself, disappearing into the cool room.

"And _you_," Charlie said, steering her back out of the kitchen by the elbow, "stop flirting. That's Cora's job."

"We weren't flirting!" Kim protested, horrified. "We were just _talking_."

"Uh-huh," Charlie replied, rolling her eyes. "Whatever. Now, take out some drinks, would ya?"

* * *

"Welcome back, Pretty Kitty! So, how great was your first day?"

Nina threw the door wide, beaming. Rhino promptly screeched at her from the basket and she jumped back in alarm.

"My god – what is that?"

"That," Kim said exhaustedly, dumping Rhino's basket on the step, "is Rhino."

Pichu's initial excitement about a new playmate wore off at a rapid speed. He tiptoed cautiously over to the suspensefully quiet basket, sniffing curiously at the iron door. A sharp hiss from inside promptly scared him away. He sprinted back to where Nina and Kim were sitting, scarpering up into Kim's lap, his expression alarmed.

"Pi Pichu Pi!" he exclaimed, as if Kim didn't already know about the frightening beast in the basket, his eyes huge, his ears pricked up.

"Yeah, buddy," Kim said tiredly. "He's a mean kitten. Don't get too close, okay? He'll probably try to eat you."

"That really is unfortunate," Nina said, shooting the basket an unhappy glance. "Skittys are supposed to be all cute and fuzzy and cuddly–"

"Don't rub it in," Kim muttered darkly. Nina fell silent, her face apologetic. At her feet, Ziggy the Zigzagoon drooped its spiky little ears.

"So… what are you gonna do with it?" Nina asked eventually.

"I have no idea," Kim replied glumly. "How am I even supposed to feed it when it'd probably chew through my hand first? But I don't want it to stay locked in that stuffy little basket forever. That's just cruel."

"Well, you're gonna have to figure something out," Nina agreed. "Let's just hope it gets along alright with Pichu."

"Speaking of, how was he today?"

Nina laughed. "Oh, delightful! I love this little guy. He's no trouble."

"Pichu Pi!" Pichu piped up, hearing that he was now the topic of conversation. He perked his ears up and smiled brightly at Kim. She reached out and waggled one of his reddish cheeks with a finger.

"At least you're a good boy," she said, smiling back. He crackled statically at her touch, snuggling up affectionately against her hand.

"So you must be feeling pretty good about tomorrow," Nina commented.

Kim glanced at her, confused. "Why? What's tomorrow?"

"… The test, remember?"

It took a second for it to register. The next, all sense of calm was destroyed.

"Oh my god! I completely forgot! Holy Miltank, I have to get home! Pichu, come on, quick, return!" Kim shouted like a crazy maniac, which was practically what she'd been rendered. A very bemused Pichu disappeared in a flash of red light, and Kim scooped up her bag, shouldering it and making for Rhino's basket. "I can't believe I forgot! Damn, now I'm screwed!"

"Hey," Nina laughed, a little alarmed by her friend's behaviour. "Relax, you'll be fine. You've still got a good few hours to cram."

"Gotta run, Nin!" Kim cried, clamping the hissing, spitting, growling basket in her arms and practically kicking the front door down. "See you tomorrow! Thanks again!"

"No–" Nina blinked at the empty space where Kim had just been standing, "… problem."

* * *

Kim opened her eyes slowly and blinked blearily around her fuzzy bedroom. The sky outside her window was bright blue and sunny, a Taillow warbled happily in a bush outside, and she could hear people chatting on the street.

She blinked a few times and lifted her head; her cheek unstuck loudly from the page. She looked down at it in confusion. Book?

Hmm. Book on Aprikorns.

_Oh_. Book on Aprikorns that she had been _reading _last night, far into the ungodly hours of the morning.

"Oh no!" Kim wailed, as reality crashed down on top of her head. It was _way _past the Dodrio crow, which meant school had probably already started, and she was most likely late for her test.

She threw herself away from the desk and hopped groggily around her room, tugging off her Pidgey-print pyjamas and _on _her school uniform. She threw her books in the general direction of her bag, throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail, and bolted from the room.

Five seconds later, she barged back in, tossing Pichu's Pokéball in, along with her café uniform, then barged back out again.

She whirled around the house like a mad tornado, turning on answering machines and burglar alarms, turning off lights and fans, closing windows and locking doors. Then she took off down the quiet street at a run, the two neighbours she'd heard chatting a few minutes ago watching on curiously.

After dropping Pichu at day-care with a hasty 'good morning' and the avoidance of chit-chat, she dashed the few streets to Petalburg High, screaming through the entrance and completely bypassing her locker, skidding to a stop outside her classroom, where she sagged against the wall for twenty seconds to regain her breath and try to recompose herself. There was no way she was walking in there in the state she was in right now.

Finally, she pushed her bangs out of her face, fanned her warm cheeks for a moment, and slid open the door. The teacher was talking in a monotone up the front, and paused at her interruption.

"Sorry," Kim sighed, relieved. The test hadn't started yet. Nina was sending her _the look. _She shot one back as she made her way awkwardly to her seat (the only one unoccupied), feeling the rest of the class' eyes on her back. "Overslept", she mouthed at Nina, who shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Now that Miss Clover has decided to join us, you may turn your papers over," the teacher said, pushing his glasses up his oversized nose.

There was the rustle of thirty sheets of paper being moved, and the test began.

Fifteen minutes later, Kim stared blandly down at her test. All that hard work last night, and she couldn't remember anything. The table before her was only half filled-out. The left column listed all the names of different Aprikorns. The right was left blank – where she was meant to be writing the corresponding Pokéballs they could each be made into.

She stared irritably at 'Ylw Aprikorn', trying to rack her brains for any snippet of information in her memory that might miraculously provide the answer. It wasn't Love Ball, or Lure Ball, and she was pretty sure it wasn't Quick Ball, either. Sadly, she couldn't remember which Balls that left as possibilities.

Another fifteen minutes later, she still had no idea. She gazed glumly at her not-quite-completed test as it was whisked off her desk, resting her forehead on her arms defeatedly. It was the beginning of what was going to be a long, terrible day.

* * *

"You're late!" Cora called, shooting her a disappointed glance as she dragged her feet through the tinkling glass door.

"The bus was held up," Kim complained. "I couldn't get here any faster. And isn't it only five to four?"

"You were rostered on at three-thirty today," Cora replied, stacking the glasses from a deserted table on her tray. "So I could teach you stuff before we started."

"Sorry," Kim apologised, disbelieving of her rotten luck, trailing after the blonde as she hurried back to the kitchen. "I didn't know I wa-AAAH!"

Her feet spontaneously left the floor and she face-planted unceremoniously in the middle of the café, in front of all the customers. Pushing herself up from the ground, wondering if she'd lost any teeth and doing her best to ignore the titters of amusement from all directions, she peered around for the source of her fall. Shadow glared back at her with pure loathing, his lip curling in a snarl of menace.

"Sorry," she snapped, hauling herself up from the floor. Damn Skittys, getting under her feet all the time. She was willing to bet Shadow might have even done that on purpose. She'd learned yesterday that he could be a scathing little creature when he wanted, going out of his way to make life difficult for everyone but Bella, it seemed.

Oh, no. Speaking of Skittys–

"Where's Rhino?" Cora asked presently, her ice-blue eyes scouring Kim's figure as though she suspected she had him stuffed up her school sweater, or something.

Kim's heart sank horribly. "I left him at home."

"What?" Cora snapped, her mouth flying open. "But I told you to bring him to every single shift! Kimmy, I made that perfectly clear yesterday!"

"I know, I'm sorry!" Kim cried, following her back to the bar. "But I was running late this morning and I had to take my Pokémon to day-care, and I forgot all about him."

"Excuses, excuses," Cora sighed. Her blue eyes flashed with annoyance, making Kim feel even guiltier and worse about the whole day. She was usually so friendly and supportive. Kim must have _really _stuffed up big-time to tick her off so badly. Cora slapped her tray down on the bench. "Jason! Hurry up and get out here!"

Kim flinched at her dangerous tone of voice, hovering uncertainly behind the blonde waitress, feeling utterly useless and pathetic. Cora glanced at her out of the corner of her eye.

"Well, don't just stand there!" she said shortly. "Go and get changed. You'll just have to work without him again. But don't come crying to me if Walter chews through you. I warned you."

And that's how Kim (a very teary Kim) found herself alone in the change room, miserably pulling on her itchy, stupid, pink, frilly uniform, and wishing like mad that she'd just gotten a job as a Poké-sitter in Petalburg.

* * *

The sun had well and truly set when the bus wheezed away from the lonely stop outside Petalburg High. Kim was the only passenger; it was the last stop of the run. Now it would just turn around and trundle back to Rustboro.

It had been a truly horrible shift. There had been so many people, and _everyone _had asked for confusing orders. Some had questioned why she didn't have a Skitty. Others questioned why she didn't say 'Nya!' when she took their order. Others again simply questioned why she'd brought them the wrong order altogether. It seemed she'd managed to tick everybody off somehow. Walter's moustache had visibly drooped when he'd strolled out from his office to inspect his workers, only to discover one was Skitty-less. Kim now understood what Cora had meant when she'd exacerbated how important it was for her to have one with her at all times.

Walter had literally throw a tantrum, like a toddler. He'd swelled, his chest puffing up like an enraged Jigglypuff, his face quickly turning red, then purple, and taken her aside into his lavish office, where he'd promptly burst into tears, sobbing like someone had shot his precious Delcatty. Kim had sat, rigid, terrified, and incredulous, until it was over. He'd warned her never to do it to him again (she couldn't help but wonder what the personal offense had been), tapped her smartly on the wrist once (apparently, he was still into corporal punishment) and cheerfully dismissed her, ushering her out into the corridor, where she'd stood, absolutely confounded, for a few good minutes, until Charlie had rescued her and sent her off to clear a table.

Now she was hungry, sore, and exhausted from lack of sleep and general overexertion of energy.

Pichu was the only Pokémon still at the day-care centre when she eventually got there, and he stared balefully up at her with huge, betrayed eyes. He sat silently on her shoulder the whole way home, confused as to why she'd seemingly forgotten about him, and left him there for so long.

"Hey, come on, Pichu," Kim said tiredly, reaching up to tickle his cheek. He turned his head away, ignoring her. Her heart sank. "I didn't mean to leave you there, buddy. I had to work tonight."

She tried to cuddle him again – because right now, she _really _needed a hug – but he scarpered away, sitting atop her backpack, out of reach, for the rest of the short walk home.

The minute Kim unlocked the front door, she knew something was wrong. Aside from Pichu not dashing off to heroically assault the answering machine, the dark house had an ominous tension to it. Frowning, she reached to turn on the light.

"Holy Moltres…"

The coffee table had been upturned. The standing lamp had been knocked over. There were cushions all over the floor, and huge rips in the backs of the sofas. The carpet had pulls in it. The curtains had been shredded to ribbons. There were doors open and what looked like several decimated toilet rolls strewn all over the place. And that was just the lounge room.

Kim took several steps inside, and was promptly attacked by a shrieking, yowling beast. She screamed and went down as something clawed ferociously at her face. She struggled with it, listening to Pichu's frantic yelps in the background.

"Help!" she wailed, trying to pry the evil monster away.

"Piii," Pichu summoned, and she could hear the static building up in the air around him. "_Chuuu_!"

Electricity coursed through her body with shocking voltage. She yelled in pain and surprise, and Pichu immediately stopped its attack, reeling a little from the huge drain of energy that his electricity consumed. Arms and legs shaking violently, Kim struggled and tossed her limp assailant off her, the putrid scent of singed hair hanging in the air.

Rhino rolled like a doll onto the carpet, his little tail twitching. Apparently he'd found his way out of the laundry, where she'd locked him last night.

"Pichu Pi?" Pichu asked, sniffing at her delicately.

"I'm f-fine," Kim said, working a seemingly demented tongue around the words. The shock to her brain had sent the neurons haywire, and her body wasn't working properly. She staggered to her feet and picked up Rhino's limp form. "W-well, at l-least w-we kn-know how to st-stop him."

"Pi-chu…" Pichu murmured.

A blood-curdling scream shot through the house, startling them both half to death. Kim whipped around (or, tried to, with difficulty). Standing in the doorway, her bag dropped at her feet, her hands pressed against her cheeks, her expression utterly horrified, was her mother.

"M-mom–?"

"I get off work early for once, and _this _is what I have to come home to?" she shrieked, her face paling faster than wet paint washing off a white wall. She turned accusingly to her daughter. "Kimberley! I thought you had more control over those damned Pokémon of yours! I thought you were more mature than this! Look at what you've done!"

"But–" Kim tried to protest.

"Out! Get them outside, right now!" her mom cried hysterically, teary with rage. "And you can go to your room! When you finish school tomorrow, you're cleaning this place up. No ifs, buts or maybes!"

"But I have work–" Kim wailed.

"I don't care!" her mother snapped furiously. "You're not going anywhere until order is restored to this house! Now _get them outside_!"

So Kim was forced to leave her beloved, confused Pichu outside with the mutinous Skitty. "I'm sorry, buddy," she whispered miserably, as she slid the glass door shut on him. He stared up at her with that same big-eyed, failing-to-understand, doleful expression. The hurt in his innocent little face made her want to cry.

And she did just that.

But when she was certain her mother had gone to bed, Kim got up and slid her window open. She couldn't bear to leave Pichu out there – what if he got attacked by Rhino? She reached outside with his Pokéball in her grasp and quietly called his name. His shadowy little form darted loyally around the side of the house.

"Return," she whispered, and kissed his suddenly-heavier Pokéball before hiding it under her pillow and curling up to sleep off what had been the worst day of her life on record.

* * *

**A/N: Oh man. Worst day evar. And talk about an awkward moment with the kitchen hand! But she'll be alright... hopefully... Poor Kim! Rhino's definitely going to be a handful :P**

**You know the drill!**

**5 reviews = update :D**

**Love,**

**Cherrie xx**


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